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Message: <blockquote data-quote="drnuncheon" data-source="post: 579302" data-attributes="member: 96">Session Fifteen, Part Two: TanaroaBenares' JournalDay Nine - The JungleThe strange giant woman that Dru found in the woods proved to be a godsend - not only did she supply us with meat (of unknown provenance, but a welcome change from our rapidly dwindling supply of smoked fish), but she led us to the 'trail' to the village of men, which she tells us is called Tanaroa.  In truth, it is more of a road, at least from the width of it.  We should reach what passes for civilization on this island with another day of travel, which cheered us all immensely, especially the gnomish brothers, who have suffered the most in attempting to keep up with us.Day Ten - TanaroaWe have found our way to the village, and made contact with the inhabitants there, although there was a tense moment when we were the center of attention of several dozen men with spears, a situation I am not anxious to repeat.  Still, we were able to convince them of our peaceful intentions.Only one of them speaks our language - an old man named Mnembe, who learned it from a 'pale man who appeared from the air' - probably a wizard of some sort.  If we can find his spellbook, we may be able to leave the island after all!  Di'Fier is dubious about his ability to handle spells of the Fifth Circle but right now it is the only chance we have.  The wizard vanished on his way to the 'City of the Gods', which we suspect is a remnant of the civilization that built the great wall that spans the peninsula this village is on - certainly it is beyond the engineering capabilities of the Tanaroans.The Tanaroans, alas, are a people in dire peril.  (I call them the Tanaroans although that is not strictly accurate - they share this peninsula and the surrounding islands with six other villages - Burowao and Panitube are the only names I was able to distinguish.)  They believe that they have angered their gods and are being punished for it.The reason we were so mistrusted is that another group of 'pale men' was apparently blown off course to this island many years ago, and they have been raiding the villages ever since. I will try to put it down in Mnembe's words:Many moons ago—as many as six men can count on their fingers—there came from far away worshipers of evil spirits.  They were pale like the grubs that crawl under rocks, and burnt red by the sun which was displeased at the sight of them.  Their hair was as red as the leaves of an ojaba and it grew all over their faces like an animal.  They came riding a boat that was a dragon, and they wanted to take the sacred sun-metal for themselves.They landed at Kirikuka and attacked the people there, burning their long-houses and carrying off the girls and women. Then they moved to Burowao and did the same. And Panitube.  By this time the news had reached Tanaroa, and the warriors of the Great Wall left to defend their homes.  So when the raiders attacked Tanaroa we did not have the strength to fight them off, and they carried off our women and killed our warriors.The Council of Matriarchs met for days to decide what to do, but it was the war leaders of the villages that decided it was time for the young men of the villages to go to war.  And so the seven villages gathered an army, and Masawa the war leader of Tanaroa went to Goto the Zombi Master, and asked him for the help of the spirits.  And Goto summoned a mighty spirit to go with them, and they sailed to the island where the pale men landed and smashed their boat and killed many of them.But the gods were angered by our presumption, and they sent the dragon-god to punish us for destroying the boat that was his image.  Now he rises out of the water or swoops from the sky to eat fish and fisherman alike, and the pale-man raiders come in stolen boats to take our women and our sun-metal.I must finish later. We are to meet with J'kal, the leader of the village.</blockquote>

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